Heineman also criticized the legislative committee investigating the Jenkins case for not investigating the role the state's Good Time law played.

"The chairman of an investigative committee should be impartial and open-minded. Sen. Lathrop is biased and prejudiced. He's already decided, predetermined the outcome on this investigation. He's blaming it all on the Department of Corrections," Heineman said.

Lathrop issued this response:

"This is an extremely serious issue and there are families of victims who deserve to know what really happened. I plan to continue my job to find the truth in this matter. I am focused on the hearing Friday, and I will not be pulled into any attempt to turn the murders of four innocent people into a political issue - no matter what."

And in a statement Wednesday, Terry said Ashford will do "anything to distract the people of Omaha from his long record of coddling criminals."

Democratic candidate for governor Chuck Hassebrook said Heineman had the ability to take automatic good time away from prisoners who misbehaved.

"The good time statute, and I quote, reads that good time 'may be forfeited, withheld, and restored by the chief executive officer of the facility' in response to charges of misconduct," Hassebrook said. "The chief executive of the facility reports directly to Governor Heineman, the chief executive of our state. The Governor could have made regulatory changes to take every day of automatically granted good time away from prisoners who demonstrate by misconduct in prison that they are a threat to public safety."